I4 2 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, viii 



to the " principle of the Bill." I prefer to be the Hartington of 

 the situation. 



During this first stay in London he wrote twice to Mr. 

 Herbert Spencer, from whom he had, according to custom, 

 received some proofs to read. The first set were from his 

 autobiography; after twice reading Huxley had merely 

 marked a couple of paragraphs containing personal refer- 

 ences which might possibly be objectionable " to the ' heirs, 

 administrators and assigns,' if there are any, or to the people 

 themselves if they are living still." He continues, June I : — 



You will be quite taken aback at getting a proof from me 

 with so few criticisms, but even I am not so perverse as to 

 think that I can improve your own story of your own life ! 



I notice a curious thing. If Ransom * had not overworked 

 himself, I should probably not be writing this letter. 



For if he had worked less hard I might have been first and 

 he second at the Examination at the University of London in 

 1845. ^ n which case I should have obtained the Exhibition, 

 should not have gone into the navy, and should have forsaken 

 science for practice. . . . 



Again on June 4 : — 



My dear Spencer — Here's a screed for you ! I wish you 

 well through it. 



Mind, I have no a priori objection to the transmission of 

 functional modifications whatever. In fact, as I told you, I 

 should rather like it to be true. 



But I argued against the assumption (with Darwin as I do 

 with you) of the operation of a factor which, if you forgive me 

 for saying so, seems as far off support by trustworthy evidence 

 now as ever it was.— Ever yours very faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



On the same day he wrote to Mr. (afterwards Sir John) 

 Skelton : — 



4 Marlborough Place, London, N.W., 

 June 4, 18S6. 

 My dear Skelton — A civil question deserves a civil answer 

 — Yes. I am sorry to say I know — nobody better — " what it is 

 to be unfit for work." I have been trying to emerge from that 



* Dr. Ransom of Nottingham. 



